Singapore: Yong Vui Kong's family unable to deliver pleas to President personally

Singapore President S R Nathan

A 9-member family delegation on behalf of death row inmate Yong Vui Kong travelled all the way from Sandakan to deliver their petition requesting clemency to Singapore President S. R. Nathan, Tuesday.

However, the President was not present to meet them to receive the petition as well as 107,904 signatures from concerned Malaysians and others, despite having made prior arrangements. They were also not allowed to use the front entrance but deliver their petition through the back of the Istana.

Istana Security Police Officer, Marcus Chong, received the petition on behalf of the President. The family members were Yong's father, Yong Kwong Keong, 59, paternal uncle Yong Kwong Chun, 60, and his wife Mary Liew, 54, and Yong's siblings, Nyuk Yin, 33, Yun Sang, 31, Nyuk Chu, 30, Yun Leong, 25, Yun Chung, 24, and Vui Fung, 20. Yong's mother, Liaw Yung Khan was not present as she is said to be depressed.

The petitioners were clad in T-shirts urging the Singapore Government to give Yong a second chance for life. The delegation was accompanied by Member of Parliament for Tawau, Datuk Chua Soon Bui, Singapore human rights lawyer M. Ravi and Malaysian lawyer Ngeow Chow Ying, who is the National Campaign Co-ordinator.

Elder brother Yun Leong, who works as a hotel chef in Singapore, handed over the petition to Chong, witnessed by Chua and the two lawyers.

Ravi was responsible for making the appointment for the handover.

The petition's 107,904 signatures were from family, relatives, friends and supporters who started the Online Petition and Sign Petition in the "Save Vui Kong" campaign in Malaysia and Singapore.

The "Save Vui Kong" campaign is co-sponsored by the Civil Rights Committee of the Kuala Lumpur & Selangor Chinese Assembly Hall, and supported by civil society groups.

Yong faces death by hanging. He was convicted in 2009 of trafficking 47.27 grams (1.65 ounces) of heroin into Singapore.

"Being on foreign ground, we didn't know what to expect but Vui Kong's family had high hopes of meeting the President. It was an emotional gathering outside the Istana, so to speak.

"Surprisingly, we were not allowed to use the front entrance but told to go to do so," said Chua, when contacted in Singapore.

According to her, Chong, believed to be the Istana Security Police Chief, appeared as the family approached the Istana with their petition at 9.30am, and informed them (family) that he had been directed to receive the petition on behalf of the President.

"Yun Leong submitted the petition accordingly on behalf of the family.

Chong then told the family to disperse but they refused to budge from the scene in the hope of meeting the President.

"Just then, Vui Kong's dad requested Chong to convey his personal request to the President to grant clemency to his son. But Chong refused, so the family members knelt in front of the Istana and cried," Chua related.

Yong's family pleading at Istana

Seeing this, Chong asked Chua to help disperse the distraught family, saying they were not supposed to remain there (Istana grounds) as it was a private property.

"But I told him (Chong) that he shouldn't refuse Vui Kong's father's wish under the circumstances. It is a matter of life and death.

After some commotion, I managed to persuade the family to get up and leave."

Chua also registered her displeasure with the Singapore Prison Authorities for denying her and the family access to Yong.

More than one month ago, Yong's paternal uncle (Kwong Chun) and wife Mary Liew had applied for approval to visit their nephew.

It entailed submitting documents to prove their relationship.

Chua and 2 of Yong's maternal aunts from Sandakan made a similar application last week.

"At about 10 am on Monday (Aug 23), we went to the prison in the hope of meeting Vui Kong. They scrutinised our identity cards and kept us waiting for 2 hours, only to emerge later to say 'No' without any reason given.

"As for Kwong Chun and wife's application, they said it was still under processing," Chua told a large corps of Malaysian and Singaporean journalists gathered outside the Istana.

While conceding that it was the prerogative of the Singapore Prison Authorities to reject their application for access, she felt that since this was a special case, it warranted consideration.

"Under the circumstances, we expected the authorities to be more humane and allow some degree of flexibility. After all, Vui Kong's life is hanging in the balance. All of us just wanted to see him for a few minutes and infuse him with some courage, probably for the last time."

Chua said she would seek a clarification on why their applications were turned down.

She also said the family was in the dark as to whether the Singapore Foreign Ministry had replied to counterpart Datuk Anifah Aman who, on July 30, sent a letter of appeal for clemency for Yong.

She praised concerned Singapore citizens who formed an Action Group such as the Speaker's Corner to speak up against the death penalty, although they are not related to Yong in any way.

"Several hundred individuals also signed the clemency petition together with their Malaysian counterparts."

Source: Daily Express, August 25, 2010

Yong Vui Kong's Family Plead for his Life from Lianain Films on Vimeo.